Since it's the thing to do...

It's getting close to that time of year again, and should you please, you can find all-star ballots from the likes of Greg Rajan, Brian Sandalow, and Adam Dunivan on their respective blogs.

I am not actually a member of the media, thus what you see below is by no means official, I just figured I would follow suit and name my starting lineup selections for the mid-season classic.

Forward

Jeff Bes - Laredo
Joel Irving - Arizona
Kory Karlander- Odessa

Defense

Russ Moyer- Odessa
Justin Kinnunen- Texas

Goaltender

Andy Franck- Oklahoma City

Now clearly this is slanted just a tad bit towards the Southern Conference, but in all fairness, these seem fair picks to be. Obviously Bes and Franck should be no-brainers, although a few guys have argued that Laredo's Darryl Smith should start because of his sensational rookie season. I just can't part with the assist numbers Bes has put up during the first half.

As for Irving, his numbers have undoubtedly been bolstered by the arrival of Adam Perry in Prescott Valley (he and Perry both have 23 points in 14 games). Still, I think Irving can easily rival Ryan Tobler as the top power forward in the Central Hockey League. He doesn't quite have the mean streak that Tobler does, but Irving rarely loses a battle in the corners and he has deft touch to go along with that brutal shot.

For his part, Kory Karlander is one of this league's ageless wonders, alongside Greg Pankewicz, Jeff Christian and Bes. The guy is in his late 30s and can still anchor a top line for any team he plays for. He's been exceptional on the draw (just ask Chris Robertson, who's one of the league's best faceoff men in his own right) and there aren't many guys in the league who can finish better from around the blue paint.

Karlander's teammate on the blueline, Russ Moyer, has impressed me since day one. He's shown that he can be one of the league's best two-way defensemen and has been one of the main cogs in that Odessa machine. Eleven of his 20 points have come on the powerplay, but he still boasts a team-leading +13 rating, which means he's equally invested in his own end. A strong second half and this guy will challenge for defenseman of the year.

Then there's Justin Kinnunen, who basically personifies the forgettable defenseman. He's the kind of player who's doing his job best if you don't even notice him. He's always in the right place, especially at the big moments in a game, and he's the perfect anchor on the blueline for Dan Wildfong's airtight Texas defense.

Andy Franck is just Andy Franck. It doesn't hurt that he has the league's best defense in front of him, but he certainly doesn't ride their coattails. Franck's a proven AHL-level goaltender, as is his likely all-star foe, Andrew Penner, and he's not the type to let in soft goals. Oh yeah, did I mention that he's carrying a .949 save percentage against Colorado this year?

As far as the Scorpions go, I have seen Aaron MacInnis on a couple of ballots, and I'm sure that he'll get the nod, possibly as a starter. He's right in there with Moyer and Kinnunen as one of the league's premier blueliners. If the Scorpions get a nod at forward, it's going to be very tightly-contested, given the change in the ASG format this year. With five guys averaging a point-per-game or better, it's basically a toss-up. Right now, my vote would go to Seth Leonard, as he has been the best player on the ice for the Scorpions over the past month and arguably one of the best players in the league. Of course, there's always the lure of that fairytale matchup against his former team in the all-star game, too.